Pallet



Feb. 22, 1955 K. K. NEWSOM PALLET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 23, 1951l/VVE/VTOR K/TOHE/VER K. NEW-90M Y B We f EW H/S ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent PALLET Kitchener K. Newsom, San Francisco, Calif.

Application April 23, 1951, Serial No. 222,409

4 Claims. (Cl. 248-120) My invention relates to pallets and moreparticularly to pallets of the type employed in facilitating themovement of freight in shipping.-

Prior art pallets of the type to which the present invention relates aregenerally constructed of wood planking of substantial thickness, andaccordingly embody substantial weight; e. g., in the order of 110 to 125pounds apiece. Inasmuch as each such device, when used, travels with itsload of freight to the destination thereof, it can readily beappreciated that the freight and shipping charges are greatly increasedby their use. Aside from this, the initial cost of such pallets issufiiciently high to render it uneconomical to discard them at theirpoints of destination, though additional expense is entailed inreturning them to their points of origin.

Among the objects of the present invention are:

(1) To provide a novel and improved pallet;

(2) To provide a novel and improved pallet of exceedingly light weight,yet one which is adequate to handle heavy loads;

(3) To provide a novel and improved pallet capable of being manufacturedso cheaply as to economically permit of it being discarded at its pointof destination;

(4) To provide a novel and improved pallet capable of being shipped toits origin of use in a knockdown condition and requiring but a minimumof unskilled labor to set it up for use.

Additional objects of my invention will be brought out in the followingdescription of the same taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a three-dimensional view of a pallet embodying the featuresof my invention in its preferred form;

Figure 2 is a three-dimensional view from the underside of the device ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in section through the device of Figure l, andillustrating the same in partial knockdown condition for shippingpurposes; and

Figure 4 is a three-dimensional view of my invention in modified form,adapted for use with a sling in loading freight on board ship.

Referring to the drawings for details of my 1nvent1on in its preferredform, the same comprises a platform 1 having a plurality of strips 3 offoldable material affixed at points on such platform defining asubstantially symmetrical pattern. Each of such strips is preferablyscored on both sides alternately at spaced intervals to permlt accordionplaiting of such strips, to provide a leg 5 for such platform composedof a number of superposed layers of such material, following which thesame may be tacked in position to the platform as by driving a nail 7therethrough and clinching the same. The leg material may be formed ofsuch material as heavy paper, fiberboard, corrugated cardboard or thelike, and when the various folds or layers are fixedly secured in themanner indicated, the compression is such that the legs becomesufliciently impervious to moisture as to adequately support heavy loadsand otherwise withstand the rigors of a one-way trip to the point ofdestination of such loads.

While the legs are in elfect composed of a series of layers of material,and could be built up of separate layers of such material, I preferforming them by the strip method previously described, inasmuch as itfacilitates the packaging and shipping of such pallets in knockdowncondition to the purchaser, the strip material being folded fiat againstthe bottom of the platform which permits the pallet being stacked withothers in knockdown condition in a minimum of space.

2,702,682 Patented Feb. 22, 1955 See The platform may be formed of asheet of plywood, Masonite or the like, though I find the same may bemore economically fabricated by first constructing a frame 9 out of woodslats or the like, and applying thereto a sheet 11 of material such asfiberboard, corrugated cardboard, or some equivalent cheap material.

In forming the frame, I prefer to do so by connecting a plurality ofparallel disposed slats 13 by a plurality of cross slats 15 nailed orstapled to the parallel slats at their points of crossover orintersection. When the frame is thus to be fabricated, each strip of legmaterial is preferably affixed at the same time, by inserting one endthereof between a parallel disposed slat and a cross slat at their pointof intersection, thereby not only offering a firm grip on the stripmaterial while shipping pallets in their knockdown condition, but alsoanchoring the finished legs more firmly, to thereby enable them tobetter withstand the rough usage encountered in the handling of freightshipments.

Regarding pallets for use in the shipping of freight by boat, I preferto make these in slightly modified form by utilizing cross slats 15 ofsuch length as to extend beyond the outermost of the parallel slats soas to provide in the finished pallet, parallel overhanging edges 17 forengagement by the loops 19 of a sling conventionally gmployed intransferring of freight between a dock and oat.

A pallet constructed in accordance with the above, weighs on the orderof 14 pounds, thus offering a reduction in weight on the order of 800%over prior art devices.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description of my invention, thatthe same fulfills all the objects of my invention, and while I haveillustrated and described the same in considerable detail, it isapparent that the same is subject to alteration and modification withoutdeparting from the underlying principles involved, and I accordingly donot desire to be limited in my protection to the specific details soillustrated and described except as may be necessitated by the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A lightweight pallet in knockdown condition, comprising a platform,said platform including a frame involving a plurality of paralleldisposed slats connected by a plurality of cross slats, and a sheet oftop material applied to said frame and aflixed thereto; a plurality ofstrips of material; and means afiixing said strips at one end thereof tosaid frame at locations defining a substantially symmetrical pattern,each of said strips being foldable to permit accordion plaiting of suchstrip and tacking of the same in its plaited condition to form a leg forsuch pallet.

2. A lightweight pallet in knockdown condition, comprising a platform,said platform including a frame involving a plurality of paralleldisposed slats connected by a plurality of cross slats extending at eachend beyond the outermost of said parallel slats, and a sheet of topmaterial applied to said frame and aflixed thereto; a plurality ofstrips of material; and means aflixing said strips at one end thereof tosaid frame between parallel slats and cross slats at points ofintersection defining a. substantially symmetrical pattern, each of saidstrips being transversely scored at spaced intervals to permit accordionplaiting of such strip and tacking of the same in its plaited conditionto form a leg for such pallet.

3. A lightweight pallet comprising a platform, said platform including aframe involving a plurality of parallel disposed slats connected by aplurality of cross slats, and a sheet of top material applied to saidframe and affixed thereto; and a plurality of legs distributed over saidframe in substantially a symmetrical pattern, each of said legsincluding a strip of material having one end thereof anchored between aparallel slat and a cross slat at a point of intersection of said slats,such strip being accordion plaited to form a plurality of layers of saidstrip material over such point of intersection, and means tacking saidstrip in plaited condition to said platform.

4. A lightweight pallet comprising a platform, said platform including aframe involving a plurality of parallel disposed slats connected by aplurality of cross slats extending at each end beyond the outermost ofsaid parallel slats, and a sheet of top material applied to said frameand aflixed thereto; and a plurality of legs distributed over said framein substantially a symmetrical pattern, each of said legs including astrip of material having one end thereof anchored between a parallelslat and a cross slat at a point of intersection of said slats, suchstrip being accordion plaited to form a plurality of layers of saidstrip material over such point of intersection, and means tacking saidstrip in plaited condition to said platform.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS BeamanApr. 5, 1932 Dorsey May 13, 1947 Cahners June 29, 1948 Farrell Nov. 27,1951 Norrefeldt et al. Dec. 9, 1952

